The National Muslim Students Association (NAMSA) is coaching and mentoring form four Muslim students ahead of Malawi School Certificate Examinations (MSCE) scheduled to commence on 27th October, 2020.
NAMSA Chairman Abdullah Matrood Chapola told Malawi Muslim Website that the coaching relates primarily to performance (short term) in specific skills.
“It is well-known fact that as Muslims, we are somehow way behind in terms of secular education as compared to our counterparts of different faiths. This can be because of many factors, one of which is lack of skills on how they should tackle exam questions and how they should conduct themselves during exam period,”
“It has been transpired that most of student aren’t smart enough to overcome exam tricks hence they fall behind in terms of performance despite being well equipped in knowledge,” he says.
Chapola told Malawi Muslim Website that NAMSA saw tha it is extremely important to do the exam coaching to the Muslim students those who are in form four to give them the rare skills they lack during exams and to nurture them by helping them to develop insight and understanding of exams and how they should prepare which in turn will enhance performance.
“We planned to do it in 8 districts namely: Lilongwe, Mangochi, Kasungu
Salima, Blantyre, Zomba and Mzuzu,”
“Unfortunately with COVID-19 issues, we have failed to secure venues in most locations. As of today, we have managed to conduct the coaching in Mangochi on 3rd October, 2020 and Lilongwe was conducted on 10th October Should we secure places in other districts we may do it today, 17th October, 2010,” he says.
NAMSA Chairman says the project was framed to benefit 10 districts.
“We would love the exercise be conducted in atleast 10 districts but with our resourves and timeframe plus COVID-19 impacts and restrictions we have failed. This would have given opportunity to many Muslim students to be coached. However NAMSA is very open to do the coaching in specific schools should they require our services. We have done that at Assalaam Boys in Mangochi and we are ready to work in specific schools should they contact us and provide us with logistics to their premises,”
“We targeted 8 districts strategically. Mangochi and Zomba in the eastern region. Blantyre for all the southern region districts namely Thyolo, Mulanje, Mwanza and Neno. In central region are Salima, Kasungu and Lilongwe districts. In northern region is Mzuzu only,” he says.
According to Chapola, the exercise is very important as it is equipping students with the skills they don’t learn in their day to day studies.
“They are being taught experiences in exam hall, how they should conduct themselves after one exam as they are waiting for the next paper. They are being guided on what to do with the remaining limited time. And what they should do as they will be waiting for results. Overall, it will give them courage and it will generally improve Muslim students performance. It’s one of the three projects NAMSA is focusing currently,”
“We have established NAMSA here for you which is a help line aiming at avoiding and curbing mental illness among Muslim students and also to discuss Sexual reproductive health among Muslim students,” Chapola told Malawi Muslim Website.
